BEIRUT: One of the most well-known members of Hezbollah, Hashem Safieddine has strong religious and familial ties to Iran and is considered a possible successor to his deceased cousin Hassan Nasrallah.
Safieddine, who is in his late 50s or early 60s, is quite similar to his captivating maternal cousin Nasrallah, while being several years younger. The grey-bearded, bespectacled Safieddine was the “most likely” contender for the party’s top position, according to a source close to Hezbollah.
Safieddine is responsible for the political affairs of Hezbollah as head of the executive council. Safieddine frequently expresses Hezbollah’s aggressive posture and support for the Palestinian cause in his public remarks. He expressed support for Palestinian militants by saying, “Our history, our guns, and our rockets are with you,” during a recent rally in Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Safieddine is a member of Hezbollah’s influential Shura Council, which makes decisions. In 2017, the United States and Saudi Arabia added Safieddine to their lists of designated “terrorists.” He is “a senior leader” and “a key member” of Hezbollah’s executive, according to the US Treasury.
In the interim, Naim Qassem, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, assumes leadership until the Shura chooses a new secretary general.
He hasn’t held back when criticizing US policy either. He declared in 2017 that “this mentally impeded, crazy US administration headed by Trump will not be able to harm the resistance” in response to US pressure on Hezbollah, arguing that such measures will only fortify Hezbollah’s resolve.
After Nasrallah’s passing, Hezbollah’s deputy head Naim Qassem assumes control of the organization automatically, although the Shura Council must convene in order to choose a new secretary general. Having studied religion in the holy city of Qom, Safieddine has deep ties to Iran.
His son is married to the daughter of General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in an American strike in Iraq in 2020 while leading Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations unit. In contrast to Nasrallah, who spent years in hiding, Safieddine has made public appearances at recent religious and political gatherings.
Typically exhibiting a composed manner, he has increased the intensity of his remarks during the memorial services for Hezbollah members lost in almost a year of cross-border fighting with Israel. According to Nasrallah, his forces were assisting the Hamas fighters.
According to Amal Saad, a Lebanese researcher on Hezbollah who works at Cardiff University, Safieddine has been referred to as “the most likely successor” to Nasrallah for many years. “The next leader must be a religious figure and a member of the Shura Council, which consists of a small number of people,” she declared. She continued, saying Safieddine “has a lot of authority… he’s the strongest contender.”
